This Is The Future
by ImperiumWife
Summary: What if someone had told Robin in 2008 that in 2015 she would be married to Barney and be a mom? How would she react? Set in the You Don't See It universe after Brianna's birth.
1. Groggy

Chapter 1- Groggy

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A/N: This idea came to me back in the summer, and has mostly been written since then. I didn't publish it because it is in the same universe as YDSI, and I didn't want to give anything away. I think I can safely publish this now, and since it probably my favorite story that I've posted so far, I didn't want to wait any longer to share it.

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Robin can't sleep. It is 2:30 in the morning, and she has been woken up again by a dream. Just about every dream she has lately includes Barney, and most of the time the dreams are of a sexual nature. It is really getting hard to ignore. Every time, he rocks her world. She wonders what it would be like to be with him, because to say that she hasn't been attracted to him from the get go would be an utter and complete lie. Lately, it seems that things just keep happening to put him on her radar. Like the other day, for instance, when he whispered that story to her when they were trying to catch his stalker. She almost considered asking him back to her place that night, as many times before, but she knew that she had to control herself. She knows that no good can come from her hooking up with Barney Stinson, ladies' man extraordinaire, no matter how amazing it might end up being. The payoff just isn't great enough to risk the consequences.

Unfortunately, it's now the third time tonight she has woken up to him having been a part of her dream. It's left her hot and bothered, yet again. She wills herself to go back to sleep, knowing that tomorrow is going to be a particularly long day, hoping that she can just sleep peacefully and have a dream that for once, is not about the two of them hooking up.

She drifts back to sleep, but a few minutes later, she wakes up again, feeling like she had just barely been asleep. There is something different about this time, and she can't quite put her finger on what it is. She starts to feel a throbbing headache, which she is certain wasn't there before. The baby crying just makes it worse. She starts to think about it. A baby crying? Why would there be a baby crying in her apartment? She can't quite place what is going on. She hadn't had any pregnant neighbors, did she? Did she leave the TV on and there was a baby crying on there? She groggily hears groaning coming from the other side of the bed. Now she is extremely confused, because hearing someone groaning would mean someone is in bed with her. She swears that she was alone the last time she fell asleep, but she finds herself completely unsure. No, she's sure of it. She had been dreaming about Barney. She had been alone. The unexplained baby keeps crying, and the person whom she is now sure is there beside her, gets out of bed, and leaves the room. The baby quiets shortly thereafter. She has no idea why this other person is here in bed with her. None of it makes any sense.

She is half tempted to go back to sleep, because she hadn't gotten to a dream yet and as much as she doesn't want to have them, the dreams are so good, and it's certainly better than whatever this is. She wants to be back on the receiving end of Barney, because it is the only place that she can allow herself to have him. But there is a larger part of her needs to know what exactly is going on in whatever crazy reality she seems to have woken up in.

She lifts her heavy eyelids and looks around, and instantly, she is startled awake. She is not at home, not even close. Actually, it almost looks like Barney's apartment, Barney's bedroom, which makes absolutely no sense. Why would she be in Barney's apartment? She starts to panic. Maybe she slept with him. Oh God. She somehow got over here and actually slept with him. The last thing she needs right now is to mess up the group. Even though there is a part of her that really wants Barney in more than just her dreams, there is no way she can ever, ever, go down that road. It just has the potential to mess everything up. At that moment, she realizes that she is clothed, thank god, but it isn't what she was wearing earlier. In fact, as she looks around what she now knows with all certainty is Barney's bedroom, after all, she was just in there a few days ago looking at his scrapbook of women, and she notices some things that seem out of place.

The first thing she notices is that she has a pillow and there is one in the spot that he must have just vacated. In fact, there are actually four pillows on the bed. She knows that Barney only has one pillow on his bed, to scare away any girls from spending the night. The bedding is also completely different from what it was a few days ago. There is more than just the one blanket, and the whole bedding set looks a little more grown up, and a bit more feminine. There are also other tiny things different about the room than what she saw a few days ago. Things in different places, slightly different art on the walls, but one detail completely scares the crap out of her. Her Canadian flag mug is sitting on the table next to her. She is at a complete loss as to why that would be next to her in Barney's apartment. That mug never leaves her bedside, and hasn't left her apartment since she moved there in 2005.

Now she is completely awake, adrenaline pumping, completely unsure of what to do next. Part of her wants to scream and part of her wants to try to go back to sleep, to see if she can get out of this situation, but at this point, there is no way she is going to go back to sleep. The adrenaline is already coursing through her, and while it is helping tremendously with the killer headache, there is no way she is going to be able to calm herself down.

"Hey! You're awake!" Barney exclaims sweetly, but quietly as he enters the bedroom. "How you feeling? You gave us all quite a scare earlier."

"What?" Robin asks confused, hoping that maybe he can explain how she got here.

"You tripped and hit your head on the counter at Ted and Mara's remember?" She has no idea what he could be talking about.

"Who's Mara? And Ted lives with Marshall and Lily, Barney. You know that," she speaks with an edgy tone. She is really scared of what is going on right now. This has to be some sort of big practical joke.

"Robin? Are you sure you're ok?" he asks. He looks at her in a way that she has never seen before, except when he is trying to pick up a bimbo at the bar, but it is missing the sexual undertone. He looks like he is completely worried about her and nothing else in the world matters to him but her. It seems so strange to see that look come out of him. She didn't know he was capable of that look.

"I am fine Barney. You seem to be the crazy one right now. I mean, why didn't you take me back to my apartment? Why bring me here? Why put me in your bed?" she berates. She just wants answers at this point. None of this is making any sense, and frankly it is making her head hurt worse.

"Robin." Barney says firmly as he grabs her hands. She stares down at the gesture in shock. "Look at me." She looks up at him. "Robin," he says trying to stay as calm as possible, "you live here."

"WHAT? NO!" she screams before she can even think. "NO!" The baby starts screaming again from the next room. "No." She can't possibly live here. "No, no." No, that's impossible. "No, no." she says, slowly getting quieter. "No." This must be some sort of horrible dream. "No." She can't, and why is she hearing a baby?

"Damn it, I just got her back to sleep," Barney mutters under his breath.

"No."

"Take a few deep breaths and I'll be right back," He tells her before walking out of the room.

"No."


	2. What Year Is It?

Chapter 2- What year is it?

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A/N: To the guest reviewer- Don't worry too much. No unhappy ending here. I don't want to say which it is, but I promise, it will be clear by the end of the story. Just remember that this is from Robin's point of view, and it is bordering on the supernatural.

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As soon as he gets out of the room, Barney calls Ted.

"Barney? What's wrong? Is Robin ok?" Ted panics upon receiving the phone call.

"I don't think so. She just woke up, and she asked me why I didn't take her back to her apartment." Barney rushes with a panicked voice. "When I told her she lived here, she freaked out. I don't know what's going on, but I think she lost some of her memory."

"Get her to the ER. She must have some sort of concussion. I'll meet you there and take Brianna to Marshall and Lily's so she doesn't have to be in the hospital. Mara can stay home with Penny for a while."

"I'm really nervous Ted."

"It's all going to be ok, just stay calm."

He hangs up the phone and calms down the baby. He starts getting her dressed and puts her in the car seat on the floor of the nursery, because he has a feeling that seeing her would not be good for Robin right now. He walks back to the bedroom to get Robin ready too.

"Barney? What did you do with my clothes? I am ready to go back home now," she implies impatiently.

"Robin, I'm taking you to the ER, ok?" he says with a serious voice, one that makes her feel even worse. It's like she is in some weird other universe where Barney has become Ted.

"I am fine, Barney. And when did you become so concerned about me?" she retorts, still not understanding.

"Robin, please just trust me on this. I need you to trust me on this," he insists, trying to stay calm.

"No."

"Yes."

"No. Why should I trust you, Barney? You've haven't ever given me a reason to trust you. What if this is just one of your schemes?" He has to admit that comment hurts. He's changed. He's not that person anymore, but for some reason, she doesn't remember.

"We're going and that's final," he demands. He just wants his wife back.

"You can't tell me what to do Barney," Robin snarks. She doesn't get why he is being so demanding. What should he care?

"Ok fine. Can you at least tell me this? What is the last thing you remember?" There is something in his voice this time that she wants to take seriously, so she gives in.

"I remember having some really strange dreams in my apartment and trying to fall asleep." She decides to leave out the part that they were about him. He really doesn't need that to stoke his ego, especially right now. She needs to focus on getting out of this mess. "The next thing I knew, I woke up here."

"I see. What apartment did you fall asleep in?"

"My apartment, duh," she states as if it is the most obvious thing in the world. She only has one apartment.

"The Brooklyn apartment?" he asks.

"Yes, Barney, I haven't lived anywhere else." She doesn't get where this is coming from.

He is completely terrified to ask anymore more questions, but frankly he needs to know. As of right now, it seems that she has completely forgotten all of their relationship.

"What year is it?" he asks tentatively.

"That seems like a stupid question to ask," Robin retorts.

"Answer me, please." The look he gives her scares the crap out of her. It's a scared pleading, and her stupid hormones that want him are finding it endearing. She really doesn't want to answer, but she can't help it, she can't control it.

"2008."

"Good," he says, to not scare her. So she has forgotten the last seven years. She has forgotten most of their entire relationship. He is thanking god right now that she hasn't noticed her wedding rings yet.

"Before or after Ted's birthday?" He needs to know what from 2008 she remembers.

"What?" She wonders what kind of question that is, and what this conversation about year has to do with anything.

"How many days is it until Ted's birthday? I need get him a gift. Do you know how many days I still have to shop?" he fakes, taping on the lying to bimbos resources that he hasn't used in what seems like forever.

"It's still a month away. Geeze, relax Barney." All this questioning is freaking her out. "This is really freaking me out. Can you stop asking me questions?"

"Only if you go with me to the emergency room," he banters, hoping it will work.

"No," she insists. There is no way she is going anywhere with him right now.

"Well then," he winks, knowing a way he can get her to do what he needs her to do. "I guess I will just have to show everyone the Sandcastles in the Sand music video then." Her eyes widen. There is no way he could have possibly found that. No way.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?" she screams. He can tell by her reaction that she will play right into his hands. He knows her a lot better than this version of her thinks he does. He can use that to his complete advantage. Yes, he knows it's evil, but it's for her own good.

"Doesn't matter how I know. If you don't come with me, everyone gets to see that tape. If you do, it will stay just our little secret."

"Fine." She can't believe that she is letting him blackmail her into this.

"Now what do you want to wear? Jeans, sweats?" he asks.

"Something comfy?" She has no idea how he is going to come up with clothes for her. It doesn't make sense.

"Ok, coming right up." He goes to the dresser and pulls out what he knows are her favorite yoga pants and t-shirt and brings them to her.

"These are so cute Barney." She actually could see herself owning something like this. "Oh god, do these belong to one of your skanks?" she wonders aloud, because where else could they have come from?

"No. I promise." He can't tell her that they are actually hers. He doesn't think she would believe him anyway, he thinks as he is standing in the room waiting for her to change, just as he always does. It's a regular occurrence for them to be in the same room while the other is changing, and most of the time, it isn't even a sexual thing.

"Well?" She can't believe that now of all times she has to ask him to leave. Does he really think that he is going to get a free peep show out of her?

"Well what?"

"Do I have to spell out everything? I know you want to watch me change, but it ain't happening mister." He completely forgot. Of course he would need to leave. This Robin has no idea that he can't take his eyes off of her and her alone, that he's seen her naked more time than he can even count, and still keeps coming back. She still thinks he is some sort of womanizing idiot that she met years ago.

"Sorry. I forgot." Sure he forgot, she thinks and rolls her eyes. "I'll be out in the living room when you are ready."

He heads down the hall, stopping in the nursery to check on Bri. She is sound asleep in the car seat. He quietly moves around the room to grab a few more things for the diaper bag, as it occurs to him that she has no idea that Brianna exists. Not only does she not know that they are married, she doesn't even know she has a daughter. He can't help but feel heartbroken. He knows how much she loves her, but right now, she has no idea that she exists, or well to her, will exist. He needs to try and treat her as much of 2008 Robin as he can, which means he needs to figure out an excuse as to her existence. Since she hasn't asked about it yet, he figures that she probably thought it was a neighbor's baby. Maybe he can get away with saying it's Eli. That wouldn't exactly work out, but would she really know the difference? 2008 Robin wouldn't know Eli's age, or know his family enough to even know about him. Nor would 2008 Robin know enough about babies to know that Bri isn't a 6 month old boy. 2008 Robin wants nothing to do with kids. All he has to do is get her out of the apartment fast enough to not see any wedding or baby pictures lying around.

He picks up the diaper bag and the car seat, and heads out into the hall, closing the door behind him. The last thing he needs is her seeing that the suit room is actually a nursery. He wants her as calm as possible all the way to the hospital. Thankfully, he sees that she hasn't come out yet, and he leans against the wall at the entrance to the living room. She opens the door.

"Hey," he says calmly, waiting for her reaction to the baby.

"Umm?" she questions, wondering what exactly he is doing with a baby.

"Oh," he murmurs, trying to feign his innocence, that he had no idea that she didn't know about the baby. "This is Eli. I'm babysitting. Remember him?"

"Oh yeah, your nephew."

"Do you want to see him?" She wonders what kind of a question that is. He knows that she hates babies.

"No, that's quite alright."

"Ok then, let's go shall we?"

"Fine. Let's go."

He guides her to the door, and manages to get her out the door without her seeing anything incriminating. All he can think is that it's going to be a long night.


	3. A Baby?

Chapter 3- A Baby?

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When they get to the hospital, Ted is already there. He takes Bri away from Barney, and Barney passes him a worried look. He gives him some instructions for her, and then he notices that Robin is gone.

They find her at the check-in counter. They realize that they can't have her check herself in, because she has no idea that her name isn't the same, or even why she is here. Barney and Ted run over to her.

"Robin? Why don't we go sit down?" Ted asks her. "Barney can give them your information," he says, nodding to Barney.

"Ok," she replies skeptically. Barney knows he shouldn't be jealous, because 2008 Robin would be more comfortable with Ted, but it still stings every time that she chooses Ted over him. At least now he knows that Ted is nothing to worry about, because he has his own happy family.

He explains the whole situation to the nurse at the desk, that his wife fell and hit her head earlier tonight, and she seemed fine at the time, went to bed, and woke up in the middle of the night with no memory of the last 7 years of her life. He told her that her life is dramatically different now, and she is panicking over what her life is right now, because seven years ago, she never wanted those things. He told her that he wants the doctors to use her maiden name for a while, until she has some time to adjust to this. The nurse gives him some forms to fill out, and he barely gets back to Robin and Ted before they call her back to a room. He's surprised, yet worried, because one never gets called back that fast unless it's bad. Really bad.

When they get back to the room, they leave Robin by herself, and talk outside the door.

"So?" Ted queries, wanting to hear the whole story.

"She's in 2008, Ted," Barney laments.

"2008?"

"2008. She knows nothing about our relationship." Ted can see him start to tear up. He couldn't imagine if he woke up one day and Mara didn't remember him.

"She says the last thing she remembers was trying to go to sleep, and she woke up here. I don't know what to do. I even told her Bri was Eli. God forbid if she finds the wedding rings, Ted!" he exclaims. "What am I going to do?"

"I don't know, but I do know you need to stay strong and calm." He pauses, not sure what else to say. "How did you even get her to come over here?" Ted asks.

"I blackmailed her."

"What?" Ted questions skeptically.

"Well, I didn't technically. She's voluntarily told me everything that I used. But she doesn't remember that she told me."

"Hmm," Ted ponders. "Evil, but completely you."

"Yep."

"Ok, I am going to get Brianna over to Marshall and Lily," Ted explains. "Once I do, Lily and I are going to come back. I think that Robin probably would want to see us right now over you, no offence."

"I know," he sigh. "She doesn't know. I'm going to go back in and fill out the paperwork. Thanks, Ted."

"Of course. I'd do just about anything for you. I'll be back soon."

Barney walks back into the room, and sits with Robin. He asks her questions about the forms, even though he already knows all of the answers. He knows that if he would just fill out the forms, it would make her incredibly nervous. He can't help but worry about Brianna either. He realizes that it's the first time that they have been alone without her since she was born. But he knows that Robin isn't worrying about her, which is actually somewhat calming, and she is in good hands with her Uncle Ted and Uncle Marshall. They are halfway through her medical history when she finally notices.

"Barney?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do I have rings on THAT finger?" she starts to panic. He tries to play it off as nothing.

"What?"

"These Barney," she exclaims getting slightly more agitated as she holds up her left hand towards him.

"Robin, you need to calm down."

"No Barney, YOU need to calm down," she starts to shout.

"ROBIN!" he shouts right back at her. He really has no idea what to say. He knew he could get through everything else, but he knew he would have no idea how to explain those away. She continues to look at him, her eyes like questioning daggers.

"I will tell you everything, but you need to stay calm for me, ok?"

"What do you mean?" she questions.

"Just no outbursts," he demands. "We are in a hospital, and if you freak out, you are just going to end up in the psych ward, and that is the last thing you need right now."

"Ok..." she trails off, waiting for whatever big reveal he is going to share.

"No outbursts?" he asks, making sure she gets that.

"No."

"What year is it?"

"I told you earlier, it's 2008," she snaps.

"Actually it's not," he reveals.

"Huh?" She snaps her head over to stare at him intently.

"It's 2015". What can he possibly mean its 2015?

"What? No Barney, It's 2008," she corrects.

"Robin, it's 2015. You fell last night at Ted's house, and hit your head on the kitchen counter. You seemed fine when you went to sleep, but you woke up in the middle of the night with no recollection of the last seven years."

The whole thing just seems crazy. They have to be playing a joke on her. There is no way it is just seven years in the future in just one night.

"It's 2015?" she questions.

"Yes." She's really having a hard time believing what he is saying. The whole thing seems off.

"If it's really 2015, then why am I here?"

"I brought you here because you don't remember," he explains sweetly. He has tthe overwhelming urge to touch her in comfort, but decides that it might not be a great idea.

"I don't remember anything?" she asks weakly.

"I don't think so."

"Well, my life can't be that different." Then it hits her. "Wait. Oh my god! Am I married? Is that what the rings are?" She asks, demanding answers.

"Robin. You need to stay calm remember?" he tries.

"But I was never going to get married!"

"Hello Mrs. Stinson," the technician announces when she enters the room. Robin turns to stare at Barney in horror. It hurts him so much to see her realize it. He has to remember that the Robin that married him is happily in love with him and loves their happy family. She eagerly said yes to him on that rooftop. He has to remember that this Robin doesn't know the in between. She comes from a time that he would have freaked out as well about being married and having a child. He smiles to her the best he can to comfort her.

"We need you to take off any jewelry you have on."

"It's just the rings. You don't have the necklace on right now," Barney tells her.

She is still in shock. She has so many questions. She is married to Barney? That is probably the most ridiculous thing she has ever heard. This has to be some sort of sick practical joke.

She doesn't even say goodbye when she is wheeled out of the room. They must be playing a joke on her. Ted must even be in on it. She has to admit, they sure went to a lot of work to do this. She wonders if all of the hospital employees are in on it too. That is, until they hand her what appears to be a gigantic iPhone, and ask her to sign a release form on it. She asks the nurse what it is.

"It's an iPad dearie."

"An iPad?" She is so confused. There isn't anything called an iPad that she knows of, although she is going to have to congratulate Barney on the oh-so-but-not-really clever naming. How original is iPad?

"Yes. It's an 8th generation. We started using all electronic forms back here a year ago."

"When?"

"2014."

She thinks Ted and Barney are either really good, or this is really happening. She can't really decide on which one though. The nurse rolls her back and gets her set up.

The whole MRI takes an hour, and she wonders the entire time if what Barney is saying could really be true, and if that is the case, what does the rest of her life look like? How the hell did Barney of all people convince her to get married? She does find him extremely attractive, but she knows he would never be the kind of person to settle down. Then again, neither is she. She wonders what the rest of the gang's lives are like. Maybe she's even held a baby by this point. If she could get married to Barney, maybe she even has nieces and nephews that she adores.

When the nurse comes back in at the end of the test, she says something that completely terrifies her to her core, even more than the thought of being married to Barney.

"You're done sweetie," the nurse comforts. "Congrats on the little one by the way."

"Little one?"

"Yes. The baby. I saw in your chart that you were here in February. Congrats."

She says thank you, smiles and nods, but in reality she wants to run away screaming.

The entire way back to her room her brain is on overdrive. Little one. Like a baby? Really? She can't be serious. There is no way that she has a child. Never. Not in a million years could she have decided to have a child. But, oh god, Barney had a baby. Ted took the baby. No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, this can't be happening. No, no, no, no, there can't be a baby. No. No. But if it really is 2015, that would make Eli seven or eight years old. So maybe this is just a joke after all. Maybe, just maybe.


	4. Pictures

Chapter 4- Pictures

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A/N: Happy New Year to everyone!

* * *

When she finally makes it back to the room, she finds Lily and Ted there with Barney. She starts to notice the details. Like the fact that they all look slightly older. Barney has some wrinkles and grey hairs and so does Ted. Lily's hair is red again, but slightly longer than she remembers, and if she's not wrong, it even looks like Lily is might be pregnant. Ted and Barney are both wearing wedding rings, and Barney looks like he is the one that isn't holding it together. They all smile at her when she is wheeled in the room, but she is so out of it that she doesn't even notice. She figures that Lily would never be in on a prank so she asks to speak to her alone.

"Lily?" she asks after the men leave the room. "Is this a practical joke?"

"No, Robin, it's not," Lily answers sweetly. "I'm sorry sweetie. Barney filled us in on what happened."

"Ok, so tell me something that would make me believe it."

"What?"

"Tell me something that would make me believe that it is really 2015," Robin insists.

"Um, here." She takes out her iPhone and opens to a picture of Robin about seven months pregnant holding a two-year-old Marvin. "That's you and Marvin on New Year's Eve last year." She realizes that not only is she pregnant in the picture, she is in Barney's bedroom again. "He's almost three now, and he loves his aunt Robin so much."

"Am I... am I?"

"Yes, you are pregnant in the picture. I don't want to tell you too much about that though," Lily answers. Lily sees the terrified look on her face, and knows that she is incredibly freaked out by all of this. 2008 Robin would have been terrified. "I think that is something you want to talk to Barney about."

Robin pauses to take in the information before asking, "I'm really married to Barney?"

"Yes, you are honey."

"How'd that happen exactly?" Robin questions.

"It's too long of a story to get into tonight, but I _promise_ you, you were a 110 percent on board," Lily insists.

"You're telling me that I voluntarily got married and became a mom?" Robin questions skeptically.

"Well," Lily pauses to think, "Yes to the married and no to the mom, but you wanted both. And I will tell you that you are extremely happy."

"Really?" She raises her eyebrows. "I just can't see it at all."

"I know, it is a pretty unbelievable story, but I think that maybe Barney should fill you in on the details of all of that tomorrow." she says, before adding gleefully, "But hey, if you want to see Ted go crazy, so you don't feel like the only one, ask him about Penny when he comes back in."

"Okay?" She wonders if Penny is the one, because she can't really remember what name Barney said earlier. "I guess you can have them come back in." Lily exits quickly to usher the men back in.

Robin realizes that it is going to take her some time to adjust to this new reality, and frankly, it is going to be really weird for a while. Being married to Barney, definitely weird. Having a child, even more weird. Having that child be half her and half Barney, insanely weird.

When they come back in the door, Robin smiles at Barney, because she figures she at least owes him that, after all, they are apparently married, and then she asks Ted, "So, Ted, I am supposed to ask you about a Penny?"

Ted starts to get that look in his eyes, like the one he gets when he is just about to start spouting about architecture. He drags out his phone and starts showing Robin pictures of his baby girl, talking about all of the things she can do, and how she started to giggle the other day. She can't help but laugh, because after all of these supposed years, Ted really still is the dorky dad. She always knew he would be the perfect parent. It makes her wonder who the lucky "one" is, and how long it ended up taking him to find her.

Ted is still showing her pictures when the doctor comes in.

"The results of the MRI look clear, but we would still like to send you for a CAT scan," the doctor informs them, "and keep you for at least 12 hours to make sure that there are no other significant problems."

"So there is nothing serious?" Barney asks.

"I am going to assume that it is just a Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI until we have any other reason to suspect otherwise."

"And the memory loss, will it be permanent?" Barney questions.

"There is no way to tell. It could last for a day, a few weeks or forever. There is really no way to know for sure. Anything that you can do to help her remember can only help. Now if you will excuse me," the doctor adds before exiting the room.

"Guys?" Robin asks. "Can I talk to Barney alone for a few minutes?"

"Sure, we'll be out in the hall," Ted answers as he and Lily turn towards the door and head outside.

"I want to see pictures," Robin demands.

"Pictures of what?"

"Of the baby. I want to see pictures." He looks at her stunned. He wasn't quite ready for her to figure that out yet.

"How did you-?"

"A nurse back at the MRI told me, and I asked Lily about everything and she showed me a picture of Marvin and I while I was pregnant."

"Oh." He pauses. He doesn't know what to do next. She continues to look at him expectantly.

"Barney, I really want to see. I need to know things right now. Just start telling me things. It's yours right?"

"Yes," he confirms.

"Did we get married because I was pregnant?" she demands.

"Hell no! Are you kidding me?" He chuckles at the thought. Even in their pregnancy scare, she didn't want to do anything. "That's not us. We were married a year when you got pregnant."

''Oh," she murmurs. "What's her name?"

"Her name is Brianna," he says with a smile. "She's ten weeks old, and she looks just like you."

"Really?" she asks, and she actually feels herself getting more emotional than she ever thought she would about a baby.

"Really," he confirms. "Actually, it's a funny story. She was born the same day as Penny."

"No way," Robin chuckles. Her becoming a parent the same day as Ted. You almost can't make that up.

"Yeah," he joins in the laughter, because looking back on it now, it is quite humorous. "It was quite a surprise. You and Mara spent quite a bit of time together, and were about a month apart on your due dates, but she was early and you were late, which was actually incredible, considering how many problems you had throughout, but I won't get into that."

"Wow." she utters, still completely stunned. "So do you have a picture or not?" He gets the hint, takes out his phone, finds the pictures, and hands the phone to her. She looks at her and immediately starts crying. She really does look like her, but she looks a lot like Barney too. She's got Barney's bright blue eyes. She has no idea how they got here, to having a baby together, but she somehow feels that love that she always thought was hocus, the protective love of a mother.

Barney pulls her in for a hug. "It's all going to be ok. I promise we will go see her as soon as we can," he whispers into her hair continuing the embrace.

"I think I would like that. I'm not quite sure how to hold her though," she admits.

"It's ok, I'll show you." She nods her head. She appreciates the hug, and oddly, it does feel right. Sort of like she felt with Ted, but even more so. Everything feels like it is supposed to, even though she is getting hugged, which would normally scare the crap out of her. Maybe this is why 2015 Robin is married to him. But even so, it still doesn't make sense. There is still a part of it all that she can't wrap her head around.

"How did we get here?" she asks.

"We took a cab," Barney answers sarcastically.

"That seems a bit more like the Barney I'm used to, but you know that's not what I meant."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, what happened in seven years that we, two commitment-phobes, ended up married with a baby?"

"I honestly have no idea how it happened," he admits, because he really doesn't. He thanks his lucky stars every day that she agreed to marry him, and then thanks them again for the miracle that is their daughter. "But I can tell you the whole story from the beginning if you'd like."

"Like our choreographed meeting story that we make fun of Lily and Marshall for having?"

"Yeah, sort of, but ours is much more complicated. It all started one night at McLaren's. A beautiful girl walked into a bar, and sat with some friends from work that she didn't know very well. A man saw her across a crowded room, and vowed he was going to get that girl that night. But lo and behold, his idiotic best friend murmured the words 'the one' and 'marry', and he knew all bets were off. But every day, he thanks his lucky stars for Ted, because if Ted hadn't gone crazy over the girl, everything he loves would have walked out the door in the morning and he would have never seen her again."

"Wow," she mumbles almost convinced. "That was very cheesy," she jokes. "When did you become Ted?"

"Somewhere around the time I fell in love with you." The way he looks at her in that moment make her feel more exposed than she's ever felt.

"Oh geeze," she rolls her eyes, trying to get away from the cheesy route the conversation is taking. "When did I finally give into your begging about sex, or was it more complicated than that?"

"About a month from what you remember, right before Ted's 30th birthday. We only spent one night together, and we then decided it was a bad idea for many reasons," he explains, deciding to leave out the part about Ted defriending him, and getting hit by a bus as a result. "Then the next year, we dated for about 6 months, but it didn't work out. But we always had this back and forth that no matter who we dated, we still kept thinking about each other and running circles around each other. Then I asked you out of the blue to marry me, and you said yes. I asked you around Christmastime, and we got married in May. We've been married almost two years now."

"Huh," she sighs. "That's a lot to absorb." She is suddenly starting to feel extremely tired again. It's all still too much. Maybe she can go back to sleep and wake back up in the real world.

"Actually, you should probably rest now," he suggests. He can see how tired she is, and how much this has overwhelmed her. He can't imagine what it must be like for her to process all of this in one night. He can't imagine being in her shoes, because there are some days he still can't believe how lucky he is. "We can talk about more in the morning. I will be right here for the night, and Ted and Lily will be right outside ok? I am going to go fill them in ok?"

"Yeah. You can send them home though."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I can hold my own with you." He smiles. It's progress.


	5. Becoming a Mom

**Chapter 5- Becoming a Mom**

* * *

A/N To the guest with the question: it's kind of hard to explain without giving away the ending. All I can say is that it is set in the YDSI universe.

* * *

She didn't realize how tired she was, and she was already asleep by the time Barney got back into the room. She woke up on her way to the CAT scan, and then realized that this had to be for real. It freaked her out tremendously, but she had to stay calm. She kept dozing in and out for the test, and on her way back to the room. It wasn't until she the doctor came in in the morning that she finally was fully awake.

"We saw nothing wrong with the CAT scan, either, and unfortunately, there is nothing we can do for you, so we are going to release you. The nurse should be around shortly with the paperwork. Just call us with any worsening memory, or any other signs of concussion," the doctor says to both of them, before turning to address Barney. "The best thing you can do at this point is spend some time remembering things with her."

"Ok. Thanks," Barney says as the doctor leaves. "So, are you ready to go home and see her?" he asks Robin.

"Actually, yes. I oddly am."

* * *

In the back of the cab on the way to Lily and Marshall's, Robin can't help but stare at her rings, now that they shine with the glorious brilliance of daylight.

"What are you thinking about?" Barney asks.

"I don't know... still trying to get used to all of this I guess," she sighs. "The ring is beautiful by the way."

"I haven't seen you stare at it that way since right after we got engaged," he says sweetly. She chuckles, laughing at the irony. She still can't seem him proposing, let alone risking the danger of ruining a suit by getting down on one knee. "You were pretty amazed by it then too."

"I hope you didn't spend too much on it," she mentions.

"I didn't. It's a family heirloom."

"What?" she asks, shocked. "Your mom had this ring?"

"No," he announces. "It's from my dad's family."

"You expect me to believe that?" she asks incredulously.

"Robin," he sighs, trying to make her remember that things are different.

"Wait," she pauses. "You really know who your dad is?" she asks, still skeptical. She still can't believe that things are so radically different. No matter how many times they all tell her otherwise.

"Yes," he states. "And he is part of the reason we are together. Turns out he was around for my early childhood, but then my mom sent him away because she didn't think that he was a good influence," he sighs. "He's married and has two other kids, which sometimes really hurts."

"Because he was there for those other kids?" she asks. It almost as if she knows him that well. She doesn't even notice the question coming out of her mouth when she asks it.

"Yeah. Lame suburban dad," he says snarikly but still calm. He adds honestly, "I am glad to know him, and I know he tries to make it up to me."

She smirks at him, amazed with the ease that he shared that personal detail with her. It is unexpected coming from Barney.

"We're here," he announces. She looks out the window, and she's not where she expected to be. She expected to be in Dowisewtrepla. This is the Upper West Side.

"But this is..." she mutters, trying to form a thought. "I thought Ted was keeping the apartment. I thought Lily and Marshall bought a place."

"They did. They sold it a few years back." He knows she confused, and it really is a lot to explain to her right now. She doesn't even know that she lived here at any point. All he really wants to do right now is pick up Brianna and get home to bed. "I don't really want to get into that right now. I want to get back home and go to sleep."

* * *

"Hey," Marshall whispers after he opens the door to Barney's quiet knock. "Everyone else is still asleep."

"How is she?" Barney asks quietly, as he and Robin enter the apartment, closing the door behind them. It takes Robin a bit to adjust to the changes around the room. It's very much the same apartment, but very different at the same time.

"Just fine," Marshall answers. "She slept the entire time since Ted brought her here."

"Good," Barney murmurs, walking over to the portable pack and play crib to check on Brianna. Robin isn't quite sure what to do, so she hovers by the door.

"By the way, you need to let us in on your secret," Marshall mentions casually. "Marvin didn't sleep that long until about six months."

"It's no secret Marshall," Barney brags, while smiling down at his daughter. "She's at least two hundred percent awesome, if not more. What kind of odds were you expecting with Robin and I?"

Marshall chuckles and shakes his head, apparently expecting that behavior.

She hadn't been expecting that. That phrase was completely Barney, yet not. Apparently there is some of the Barney in there that she knows and loves. Wait loves? The concussion just has to be messing with her head.

Barney picks Brianna up out of the pack and play, and takes her over to where Robin is standing.

"This is Brianna." Robin stares at her, a mixture of love and fear filling her face. She's not what Robin expected her to be at all. Dark wisps of hair cover her head, and her bright eyes look at her in a way she never expected, in a way of recognition. She realizes it's perfectly reasonable for her daughter to know who she is, but it's still going to take some getting used to. She doesn't know what to think about her. She knows one thing. She's the most beautiful baby she's ever seen. "Do you want to hold her?" Barney asks.

She does, she thinks anyway, but she's scared and she doesn't know what to do, so she would rather do this alone, and not in front of Marshall. The timing just doesn't seem right to her. Fortunately, Barney seems to sense this and moves closer to her.

"You can wait until we get home if you want," he whispers in her ear.

She manages to nod her head and breathe a sigh of relief. It's a lot to try and adjust to having a baby when her whole life she's been scared of them.

"Thanks Marshall," Barney says, turning to away from Robin and walking to get Brianna's diaper bag.

"Sure. No problem," Marshall responds. "It's not like we don't have to get used to that again," he says, smirking.

"Glad we could give you some practice," Barney winks as he guides Robin and carries Brianna and the car seat out the door.

* * *

When they get back to the apartment, Robin has finally worked up the courage to hold her. It took the whole cab ride to talk herself into it. Although, watching her sleep peacefully certainly helped,

"I think I'm ready," Robin announces as she enters the apartment. It's amazing now, to be back in his apartment. She notices things she hadn't seen when he rushed her out to the hospital. Pictures of the two of them were located in various places. Pictures of Brianna too. But the one next to her is astounding. A picture of the two of them on their wedding day. The dress is even more amazing than anything she could imagine, and the way he's looking at her, well it's just so un-Barney. Much like he's been the whole time she's been here. It's them in their own little world.

"To hold her?" Barney questions.

"Yeah," she murmurs nervously.

"So you want to sit?"

"Yeah."

She moves to and sits down on the couch, waiting for Barney to bring the baby to her. She watches him the whole time. There's something amazing in the way he picks her up out of her car seat, the way he holds her, the way he talks to her, as if it's second nature to him. She never thought of him as kids person. Ted, Marshall and Lily, absolutely, but not her, not Barney.

He sits down next to her with the baby on his shoulder.

"Do you want to take her, or do you want me to give her to you?" He asks gently, knowing full well that as much as she wants to hold her, she's got to be scared half to death. He'd do anything to make this easier on her, or even to just get her damn memory back. At least it feels like he's making some progress.

"Give her to me please," she asks.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes," she says, but he can sense the hesitation in her voice.

"You don't look ready," he accuses, before realizing, "You don't know where to put your arms do you?" How could he forget that she's a complete newbie with babies. She should still have the muscle memory, but she will have no idea how to make her brain do it.

"Not a clue."

"Here." Barney balances the baby against his shoulder in one hand and bends Robin's arms into the right shape. "Her head is going to rest on your elbow, and you are going to put your hand under her butt."

"But what if I drop her? And what if my arm touches one of the soft spots on her head?" she panics.

"I'm going to be here the entire time," he soothes. "You can't hurt her."

"Positive?"

"Positive."

Barney moves Brianna away from his shoulder and places her in Robin's arms.

Robin stares at her in awe for a couple of seconds, until she starts to open her eyes.

"She's looking at me," she mutters, completely stunned that not only is she holding a baby, she's holding her baby.

"She does that," he explains. "She knows you already. She recognizes you."

"Now she's smiling," she exclaims gleefully. It's weird because this isn't as scary as she thought this was going to be. In fact, it's exhilarating. It's a feeling like she's never had before. She finds that she doesn't even want to put her down. Her daughter is by far the most beautiful most beautiful thing she's ever laid her eyes on. Even though the thought of having a child with Barney is still too much to comprehend, she can't help but admit that their features mix perfectly on her. She's obviously got her hair, and she's got her mouth and nose too, but everything about her eyes is inexplicably Barney. The shape, even the color is so close to Barney's.

Brianna starts to stir in her arms. It makes her panic a bit, since she has no idea what to do with her now that her little arms and legs are flailing. It's such a sudden change that Robin is a little bit worried about what's going on.

"Seems like she's hungry," Barney says quietly. "It is pretty close to her normal feeding time."

"Do you need to take her and feed her?" Robin asks. "I don't know what to do."

"Sorry, I can't help you with that one," he chuckles. He stares at her, waiting for the logic to catch up.

"Seriously?!" she exclaims when she gets what he's implying. He can't be serious. "You've got to be kidding! I'm supposed to feed her? As in breast feed?"

"Yes," he says in a voice that she would describe as not at all Barney. It calm and sweet, but not at all demanding as he normally would be when he wants to say he's right. She knows that can only mean he's serious.

"What if I don't want to?" she asks. It's childish, but she's not sure she can wrap her head around something sucking on her nipples like that, outside of sex that is.

"You kinda don't have any other choice," he informs her. "We don't have any formula, and..."

"But it's weird and it's going to hurt!" she exclaims, interrupting him.

"It's not weird," he explains. "And it should make your boobs hurt less at this point."

It's a bit bizarre to her that he might know that. She had noticed some pain when she woke up, but she didn't realize that it could be from that. In fact, she never would have guessed that it could be from that.

"How did you even know they hurt?" she questions.

"Because you haven't fed her or pumped for 12 hours now," he shrugs. "I just assumed."

It's a lot to assume, but then again, he has been living with her as a mom for a while now. She's got a decision to make at this point though. Is she going to do this or not?

"Ok, say I was going to do this, how do I even do it?" There is absolutely no way she is going to do this without being educated.

"I'll go get you the pillow for her, but basically, you hold her in place and you put her mouth there and she will do the rest," he explains. "I'll be right back," he announces before bouncing up out of the seat beside her and running back the hall. She guesses that she's doing this now. It doesn't seem like she has that much of a choice anyway. He reappears quickly holding a weird crescent shaped pillow.

"Now the first thing you have to do is take off your shirt," he informs her.

She wrinkles her nose. "Really?" He's got to be kidding with this. It just keeps getting worse and worse. Now she has to show him her boobs. Great. Just great.

"Robin, I've watched you do this multiple times a day, every day, since we brought her home from the hospital, and even at the hospital," he tells her, stating to get a bit irritated. "And I've seen them plenty of times before that. Frankly, the freckle below your left nipple is really kinda hot," he says, starting to daydream. The thought of it creeps her out. She knows there is a freckle there, but the fact that he finds it hot? "But the point is," he shakes out of it, "I know you are uncomfortable with this, because you think I am just going to ogle over them, and they are ogle worthy, but they are the only ones I want to see anymore and-"

"Just shut up and keep explaining," she snaps, interrupting him from waxing any more poetic about her boobs. She really doesn't need to hear anymore. "I want to get this over with," she says while pulling up her t-shirt. "What's next?"

"Hold her up a little bit so I can put the pillow around your waist. That way you don't have to hold her the whole time," he explains sweetly. "Now you are going to take the hand that is not holding her and put it under her head like this," he explains while demonstrating. She's still a little bit uncomfortable with him being quite so close to her, but when she thinks about it, it's no different than when they lean on each other in the booth at the bar. They've been close before, but yet again, this just seems more intimate. "And let the rest of her weight rest on the pillow. Try it." She does as he says, and Brianna seems to be at the right spot. "Now pull your bra down and put her mouth there and she will do the rest. If she stops and turns her head, all you have to do is brush her cheek with your finger, and she should start back up again." She does just as Barney says, and Brianna grabs ahold exactly like he explained.

The whole experience doesn't hurt nearly as much as she thought it would, and it is actually easing the pain a bit. But in a way, it is still odd to watch and it feels just as odd.

"So how does it feel?" he asks, still sensing her hesitation.

"Weird, but it doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would."

"You're used to it," he tells her. The first few weeks were rough. "It hurt a lot in the beginning."

"Oh," she murmurs. She has no idea what to say. All she can do is watch in wonderment over what is happening in front of her right now. He doesn't know what to say either, but he knows how important this is for her to do to bond with Brianna. He's even slightly jealous sometimes that he doesn't get to share the same sort of close moment with Bri, even though he spends twice as much time with her.

"So," she mutters, interrupting the silence.

"So."

"What happens next?" she asks. She can sense that Brianna isn't quite done yet, but will be soon.

"I don't know," he responds. "We should probably get some sleep." It's actually all he wants to do right now. He did spend most of his night in the ER worried sick about his two girls.

"That would be good. I'm really tired," she sighs. "Is she going to be ok?"

"Yeah, she going to take another nap soon anyway," he says. She looks up at him with a smirk, almost as if she is laughing. "What?" he asks, curious as to what it could be about.

"It's just weird to see you like this. You're just being so-" she pauses, trying to search for the right word, "-caring."

"The two of you are my world," he says while stroking the baby's head. "I never thought that I would say something like that. If I were in your shoes, I probably would have run out the door and been halfway across the country or something by now," he jokes. "So thank you for at least trying here. I love the two of you so much." He leans over and gently kisses her forehead.

It's a strangely tender moment for Robin, but it actually feels quite nice. Though it's still a bit difficult to accept, she can feel Barney's love for her. It makes her wonder if he's been hiding those sweet, caring feelings deep down all this time, because he's scared, or if something really changed him. If she really changed him.

"Is she done?" Robin as she feels her daughter pull away from her.

"I think so," Barney answers. "I'll take her and put her down for her nap." He takes the baby out of her arms, and hoists her up so her head is resting on his shoulder. She doesn't know from where, but somewhere he found a cloth to lay underneath her and protect his suit.

While watching Barney burp Brianna is such a domestic scene, it doesn't seem as weird as it did earlier. The more she watches it, the more she realizes that it fits him. He looks completely at ease with a baby over his shoulder, and he's good at it too.

He walks Brianna back the hall, and she figures she might as well follow, because there is something telling her that she doesn't want to lose sight of her ever again. It's another frightening feeling, to not want to be separated from her child, but a good feeling as well, one that has the potential to bring something amazing to her life. She follows the two of them into the suit room, which, to her surprise is now the nursery. Then again, she's not surprised in the least, because it makes complete and logical sense. The room amazes her though. She can see the touches of both her and Barney in the decoration, but somehow, despite the boyish influences of hockey, Canada and Star Wars, on top of the grey walls, it is still entirely girly. She reasons that this too makes sense, because if this is her new reality, she would want to raise a girl who can be a girl, but can still be herself.

Robin watches Barney put Brianna in the crib and she can't help but admire them. It's so strange to be feeling what she feels right now. It's an overwhelming feeling of love. She loves them both so much. It should be freaking her out. She is feeling love for Barney and a baby. For Barney. It doesn't make sense, but she's happy. Really happy. So happy she can't help but break out into a smile.

After Barney places Bri in the crib, he turns back to her and notices the beautiful smirk on her face. "What's that smile for?"

"I don't know," she admits. "There is just something about this that makes me really happy."

"Maybe there is some memory in here after all," he says joyfully at her comment.

"Maybe," she chuckles.

"Are you ready for some sleep?" he asks.

"Yes," she answers, because even though she got some sleep at the hospital, she's still exhausted. He guides her back towards the bedroom and starts to excuse himself.

"You're leaving?" she asks, panicky.

"Yes, I thought you would find it weird if I stayed," he admits.

She realizes then just how much he really must care. He's really been nothing but a perfect gentleman to her since this whole thing started. He was going to leave just to spare her feelings.

"Actually, I want you to stay," she murmurs aloud. She's not sure she actually said it out loud until he responds.

"You sure about that?" he questions. She's not sure, but at the same time, there's this strange part of her that wants to be close to him.

"Yeah, I don't know," she sighs. "There's just something about you being here that makes me feel safe." She isn't lying when she says that. She doesn't understand the feeling at all, but she does know that there is no way she is letting him leave now. "I don't know what it is, but I want you lying here next to me."

"Ok," he utters, still standing tentatively in the doorway because he can sense that she's not done and he doesn't want to make her uncomfortable.

"I mean this is my reality now," she continues. "As bizarre as it seems, I am letting my gut take over here, and my gut is telling me that this is somehow strangely right." She let's go of all her better judgment to continue. "I feel something for you, and I want go see where this goes, for everyone's sake."

"I can do that," he replies, smiling at her and finally feeling comfortable enough to move in the bedroom. "Is there anything I shouldn't do?" he asks, before climbing into the bed.

"Just don't make a move on me," she requests, joining him. "I'm not quite sure I'm ready for that yet."

"Gotcha."

So they settle into bed together. It seems weird to share a bed with Barney at first, but as the minutes go on, she keeps inching closer and closer to him, as though some unknown force is pulling her there. Before she knows it, she is in his arms. And once again, it is oddly comforting. It doesn't take long before she is drifting off to the feeling of his breath rising and falling against her back.


	6. The Next Step

**Chapter 6- The Next Step**

* * *

A/N: I happen to live in the NE of the US, and I'm currently snowed in right now, which made it possible to get this chapter done. I hope you all enjoy. I also wanted to let you know that I have gone back and changed a certain name to match canon.

I love all of you for reading, and those of you that review as well! I do make it a point to respond to every review that I get, so if you leave a guest review, I don't have a way to respond to you! But after this last chapter, I had two guest reviews that I just had to respond to.

Guest 1: I loved your suggestions of what you would like to see. I have a really clear idea of where I am going with this, and your review made me wonder if you hacked into my Google doc and read ahead on the story. Some of the things you wanted to see are in this chapter, and almost all of the rest are in the chapters after this one! Thank you so much for reviewing!

Guest 2: When I was working on the beginning of You Don't See It this summer, I thought about the exact same thing- how far they have come and how much they have changed- and it's what created this story in the first place. Because it does happen so gradually for them, that looking back, it's weird to think quite how much they have changed. I think the show has had them leave the whole baby issue pretty open ended. I still think it could go either way, since I don't believe metaphors that Future Ted says, they hypothetically could still end up as parents. Not that I want that, but I think it could go either way, and they really would both be happy about it. And Robin is still quite confused about it all, and she is finding it easier just to go with it and believe him. Thanks for the review!

* * *

She wakes up hours later, oddly aroused, yet fully surrounded by a man's arms. She knows she's not a cuddle person, but it feels nice. It takes her awhile to regain consciousness, and realize that she is still in the same dream as before. The funny thing is that she didn't even think about returning to her reality when she fell asleep. She is actually quite content. And of course, during the time she was asleep, she had had another sex dream about Barney. Only this time, she is waking up next to him, and she's married to him. Maybe this will work out well, she thinks to herself. Maybe she can use this to her advantage. Yes, it's still weird to think about this alternate reality, but she wants him. If she's honest with herself, She's wanted him for a while, almost since the night they met. She can't have sex with him in her real life, but in whatever life she ended up in here, she figures it's expected, right? All the consequences to them sleeping together aren't present here. There are no bimbos to be jealous of, no judgement from the group, especially Ted, and it's not like it will get awkward later, because they are supposed to be doing this. Sex is something that married couples are supposed to do. So she's decided. She is going to have sex with Barney.

She dozes back off, imagining what it could be like with him, for so long that she realizes that he's no longer in bed with her. She takes the opportunity to get ready for this, Because even though he remembers, this is a first time for her, and there is no way she is doing anything with him without primping first.

She gets up and pads to the bathroom. She strips the T-shirt and yoga pants she's still wearing and for the first time since she woke up last night, she looks at her body in the mirror. She almost doesn't recognize herself. She seems slightly bigger all the way around. Not that much larger, maybe not even a whole size, but it's noticeable to her. She isn't as toned as she once was, especially in her torso. Her breasts and nipples are larger than they were, and there is still a pudge in her stomach. There are stretch marks everywhere- on her hips, on her thighs, on her stomach, on her breasts. She can't help but stare because everything is so different. She doesn't think she's ever felt this unattractive in her entire life. She swears there is no way that Barney would ever want to have sex with her like this.

"You're still beautiful to me, you know," he says huskily from the doorway, reading her mind. He can tell by the look on her face that her body was not what she was expecting it to be.

"Fuck, Barney! What are you doing in here?!" she screams, frantically trying to cover her body. She covers her breasts with her arm, and whips around to grab a towel off the rack behind her.

He knows he's probably lost all the trust he gained in the last few hours, but he's worried about her. So much has happened in the last sixteen hours and he just wants the best for her.

"Sorry," he mutters, looking away. "I shouldn't have come in here. But I came back to bed and you weren't there and I was worried. I didn't mean to scare you."

"You're right. You shouldn't have," she snaps as she secures the towel around herself. He turns to walk out and she huffs loudly. "I'm sorry. It's just that my body is so different now," she sighs. "I don't even feel like the same person anymore. I just feel fat and wrinkley."

"You are so far from that. Yes, Brianna left her mark on you, but to me that makes you even more sexy." He approaches her from behind so she can still look in the mirror and puts his hands on her waist, and slowly moves one to her stomach. "This keeps going down by the day. Yes, its still there, but every day it gets smaller and smaller. It will be gone before you know it, and you will back to your awesome bikini body in no time. And these," he says grabbing her breasts through the towel, "these are my dream come true. They were sexy before, but now, now I just can't get enough of them."

She doesn't know how to react to his touches. His hands are still on her, and he's still close behind her, but it's not weird. It's not weird at all. The more that she thinks about it, the more she realizes that his pep talk is surprisingly helpful, and not creepy or uncomfortable like she thought it might be. His touches aren't turning her off like she thought they would, but instead it is turning her on more.

"Can I have a half an hour to shower?" she squeaks.

"Sure," he answers. He senses he is being too awkward with her, and he pulls his body and hands away, and steps towards the door. "I'm really sorry," he says as he turns to the door to leave.

"Sorry for what?" she asks, as she looks at him confused. She's more upset that the moment is over then she would like to be.

"Sorry for being so forward. I shouldn't have touched you like that," he admits. "I hope I didn't make things too weird for you."

"It was a bit weird at first, but maybe that was just what I needed," she says, dropping the towel to the floor right in front of his eyes. "Maybe you can tell me some more later," she says with a wink.

He's stunned. He can't believe that she just willingly got naked in front of him. Maybe there is more hope of things getting back to normal than he thought.

* * *

When she gets out of the shower a half hour later, she feels strangely like her old self. Sexy, confident, ready to score. She still can't quite believe that she is going to go through with this, but she's made up her mind, and she's more than ready to go. Her blood has been pumping throughout the entire shower just thinking about him and the way that he touched her earlier. The way his body felt against hers.

Now that she is well-groomed again- seriously how long had it been since she shaved- she heads out to the bedroom to get something sexy to wear. She opens and closes drawers until finally, she comes upon the lingerie drawer. She pulls out a red set and shimmies it on. Surprisingly, it fits her perfectly, and it even has a corset to go with it, which pulls in her stomach to a more desirable circumference. She just gets back into the bathroom to put on some make up, when Barney walks in the door.

"Uhhh…" he mutters, taking in the sight of his wife in sexy lingerie, the look on his face dumbfounded, as if he had just seen a ghost. She looks like she has been caught red-handed.

"I came in to get you because Bri is hungry and I used up all the bottles that you pumped yesterday." She can't even speak. She doesn't know what to say. "What is um... going on?" he questions.

"I uhhhhh…." she stalls. She has no idea how to explain herself. How can she even begin to explain that she was going to try to seduce him.

"You were going to try and seduce me weren't you?" he deduces.

"No," she murmurs, starting to giggle. Gosh, he hasn't heard that giggle in years. That's her lying giggle. She's certainly gotten better at lying over the years, but he always thought she was cute when she giggled like that.

"You're lying." Damn. She forgot her tell. She's really got to work on that.

"Yes," she admits.

"I would have said no," he tells her certainly, and it's news to her. She can't imagine him turning down sex. From what she knows, he would jump the bones of any girl that moves. And with everything he's been asking her in her real life lately, he certainly wouldn't turn down sex with her.

"Ha, like you can go this long without sex," she implies harshly. He's a bit taken aback, and a bit offended. He doesn't know how to get it through to her that he's changed.

"It's not that important," he shrugs, hoping she gets the message. He wants her to know that there is more to their life together than just sex.

"It's not that_ important_? You of all people are saying sex isn't _important_?"

"Oh it is," he replies, because it is. He would love nothing more than to skip his evening plans and have sex with her right now, but that is the last thing she needs. "But I don't want the first time that you remember to be just about sex, and right now, that's what you are thinking. _You," _he accuses, "are trying to take advantage of the situation."

"Well…" she can't respond to that, so she gives the most spoiled teen answer. "So?"

"I love you too much to let you do that," he tells her. "This relationship is about more than just sex. And frankly, you aren't ready for it yet."

"Wait?" Is she hearing this clearly? "You're withholding sex?" She laughs, because again, it seems like a joke. "Like that would last long," she chides sarcastically. "Like what's the longest you've ever gone without sex, two days?" In her time, that wouldn't have been too far off, but she's missed a lot of time, and her entire pregnancy on top of it. If she only knew what that was like.

"Six months," he replies.

"SIX MONTHS?!" she shouts in shock. There is no way he could have gone six months without sex. No way.

"And that is exactly why you aren't ready for this," he explains calmly. She doesn't know that it isn't just about sex between them, that there is something more behind it. "I don't want to be just another lay in your mind. Besides, I would go another six months if the reward was as great as the last time. Now speaking of that reward," he alludes to her pregnancy, "she is going to start screaming bloody murder soon, and really, neither of us are going to want that, because when she screams, it takes a darn long while to get her quiet again. And then the rest of the night will be ruined."

"Fine," she groans. "Where is she?"

"In her swing in the living room."

"Can you come pick her up?" she asks. She's only held her once, and she doesn't think she is anywhere close to being ready to pick her up.

"You are going to have to learn to pick her up sometime," he tells her. She gives him the evil eye. "I will come with you, but you have to do it."

"Fine."

* * *

A half an hour later, Robin is quite proud of herself. Not only did she pick up Brianna, with Barney there of course, but she managed to feed her without his help. She even managed to put her back in the swing. After she returns to the couch to sit down, feeling a bit awkward in the lingerie covered by a bathrobe, Barney comes over and hands her what appears to be some sort of torture device.

"What's this for?" she asks, having no idea what it's even for.

"Pumping milk."

"Oh," she mutters. It makes sense now that he says it. She never knew quite how that worked before. But it still doesn't explain quite why she is holding it. "Why are you giving it to me?" she questions.

"So you can get some bottles ready," he explains. He realizes it's going to take a long, long time to explain everything to her.

"But I just fed her," she whines.

"I know, but I want to take you out to dinner," he shares.

"What?" she questions a little too loudly and a little too quickly. He can't actually be suggesting a date can he?

"Lily and Marshall agreed to watch her for the night, and I want to show you the new side of our relationship. Then maybe I will agree to sex."

"But I thought you had to have sex with a girl at least three times before you took her out to dinner."

"Well, first of all, I've already had sex with you more than three times, and I'm a changed man," he smiles at her. "So what you say?" He looks hopeful, and for some reason, she does want to go. She always does have fun with him, so it would make sense to go out to dinner with him.

"Yes," she responds happily. The way she says it reminds him of another yes she said once. He just wishes that she would remember it too.

A smile erupts across his face. "You take care of that, go get changed, wear something sexy, and I will get everything ready to go," he announces, running off in the direction of the bedroom, leaving her alone with Brianna in the living room.

It takes her a bit to figure out just how to make the pump work, but she's pretty smart, and has it working within a few minutes. Barney comes in and out, having changed into another fancier suit, and she can tell that this is going to be an A game kind of date. He moves Brianna, around, and grabs a few things to put in the diaper bag. She's still amazed at how good at this dad thing he is.

After she finishes pumping, which is even more bizarre of a sensation than feeding the baby, she goes back to the bedroom alone and opens the closet. She walks in, admiring the clothing, and the mingling of suits with what is her clothing. At the back of the closet she finds not one, but two wedding dresses, only one of which she saw in the picture. She finds a little odd that there are two, but she decides not to question it. She also finds a long red beaded dress, which is stunning, but she doesn't think it is right for the occasion. She eventually comes across a knee length black dress that is covered in lace. It seems see through in all the right places, yet is still classy enough to match his suit. She finds a different bra and panty set to put on, since he has already seen the ones she is still wearing. They are purple and black lace, and yet again, it has a corset. And last but not least, she finds a pair of red and black stilettos with silver bottoms to complete the set.

She has her hair and makeup done and her dress on when Barney pops his head in the bedroom to shout that everything is ready to go and their ride is going to be there in fifteen minutes. But when he finally walks into and sees her in the bathroom, he makes her feel wonderful once again.

"You sure know how to look hot Scherbatsky," he purrs, and she feels incredible. As much as she doesn't want to admit it, she's always wanted to be the center of his attention like this.

"Thanks," she answers. "Question though, where do I keep jewelry? I can't find it."

"Middle drawer of the dresser and pull up the handle. It's a hidden compartment." She can't say she's surprised by that. It would be something Barney would have, a secret compartment for valuables.

She stalks into the bedroom to find the perfect pair of earrings to wear to go along with the necklace that Barney told her she wears all the time. She opens the drawer, and she's impressed by the collection of very expensive jewelry. She doesn't find the necklace he told her about- something about a heart with two stones, but she was drifting in and out at that point in the hospital- which doesn't bother her, because a necklace wouldn't really go with the neckline of her dress, but she does find an amazing pair of diamond drop earrings that she quickly puts in her ears. She must have picked well, because he smiles when he sees her and he's quick to comment about them.

"You wore those earrings the night we got engaged."

"I did?"

"Yes, and they look stunning on you as always. Are you ready?" he asks, offering her a hand.

"I just have to slip my shoes on," she responds. "Where's Brianna?"

"Lily just picked her up while you were getting dressed."

"Ahh." She has to say she's a bit disappointed that she didn't get to say goodbye. "So where are we going?"

"You'll have to wait and see," he says slyly, and she can't help but wonder just what tonight is going to bring.


End file.
